Hello ! We seem to have lost our first postcard so after a few painful attempts here is our fijian adventure in its entirity! We arrived in Fiji after 3 very traumatic flights, via New York and Los Angeles. We were greeted at the airport by a singing fijian duo and presented with shell necklaces. After a short bus ride we finally arrived in our beach-side hotel Club Fiji and were ready to rest our weary heads and cleanse our tired bodies! Our bures, metres from the beach, were very luxurious (especially after what would later follow) , we enjoyed some serious r&r and cocktails in the bar. 2 days after arriving in Fiji we devised our own itinerary with Planet Travel, a small shop in the town. So here is the breakdown. 9 -13 Nabua Lodge, Nacula Island, part of the Yasawa Islands We travelled up through the Manamacas and Yasawa Isalnds to reach one of the furthest from the mainland, a 4 hour trip. Got a bit sunburnt enroute but finally arrived at our very quiet, basic hideaway. It was a very peaceful island with not much to do but the local people we stayed with were very welcoming. Beds were quite nasty but we survived! One night was a special lovo buriel ceremony. The food is placed deep in the ground, on burning hot rocks and covered in banana leaves. It is left in the ground all day and then served up for dinner. We had lots of local food, including seagull which was actually quite tasty ... just like chicken! Afterwards it was customary for us to drink the kava which is mixed in a large bowl. We can only describe the taste as dirty potatoe water with fairy liquid in ... not too pleasant! They drink it constantly though and although it is meant to take them 5 hours to feel the effects after one bowl we could feel our mouths and tongues tingle! Good job we didn\'t have any more! Visited the local village and met with the Chief - who apparently watches DVDs & TV all day! To meet with him we had to purchase some dried roots which he then uses to make Kava. We were also treated to a personal Shell market with the ladies of the village bringing all their jewellery out to sell. Went snorkelling at the Blue Lagoon one morning which was really brilliant, saw lots of weird and wonderful fish and got stung by a few little jellies, but nothing too nasty. Managed to squeeze a couple of cocktails in before heading back to our island which were possibly the poshest we\'d ever had! 13-15 Beachcomber Island, west of mainland Arrived in Civilisation! A lot more commerical on this island but it was appreciated after living the basic life. Small things impressed us like being provided with clean towels, hot-ish showers and clean bed linen that didn\'t smell 100years old! We stayed in a dorm with 100+ beds, arranged in very tight bunkbed formattions! Cosy! Food was very good, 3 huge buffets every day with a selection of meats, fresh fruit and veg. Needless to say we overindulged ... had to get our moneys worth! Spent more time realxing and attempted to sunbathe before we were treated to a rare tropical cyclone! It was all very exciting, especially for the fijians who rarely see rain! The beach was lovely and the views of the surrounding islands were very pretty, more so at night. A lot more to do at this island but we spent most time in the Sand Bar, sampling the Daiquiris and Tattoo vodka drinks. This is apparently the best party island but while we were there everyone seemed to have gone home, our 2nd night was very quiet but we made the most of the live band and the sandy dance floor! 15-17 Robinson Crusoe Island This time we returned to the mainland and were taken up the river to our next island. Greeted by very friendly staff and given a short tour of the small island. There were only about 30 guests on the island and about 20 staff, most of which were professional male dancers ... and very athletic! We missed our welcome ceremony but managed to clean up in time for dinner, which was back to basics. We were then treated to some fantastic entertainment from our fijian hosts. It was a mixture of polynesian and fijian dancing, including fire dancing and some nifty knife work! It was amazing to see how their traditions have evoled and see the stories they tell through dance. There was a great deal of history in the various dances, which they would use in times of war, romance and celebration. We managed to see the clearest night sky while at our midnight bonfire and we\'re pretty sure it was the most amazing nightsky we\'d seen so far. We ended the night in the home-made Pirates nightclub before retiring to another bunkbed! The second day was very busy as the island also takes day trippers 3 times a week. There were lots of activites as a result as we saw cocunut tree climbing, a lovo buriel ceremony, fire walking and crab racing. Lorraine had a go at Water Skiing, we do have pictures but mostly of the splashes! She enjoyed it though although sampled a bit too much of the Pacific Ocean! That evening was a quieter affair but we got to know some of our fellow islanders a bit better. 17-19 Nadi Back on the mainland we treated ourselves to a $10 hostel! That\'s about 3pounds! Spent the 2 days getting back to some normality, purchasing souvenirs from the local markets, laughing at our extremely swollen ankles and preparing for Sydney. And that is the end of our Fijian experience! Vinaka (Thank-you). xx